Sustainability is one of the buzz words in business these days and it certainly should be . It’s closely linked to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) but not quite the same . CSR can be exercised by engaging with third parties who benefit from your company’s assistance (for example Ikea’s great program to put septic tanks into very poor houses in North Jakarta , or Coca Cola Amatil and Quicksilver’s amazing beach cleaning program on the southern beaches of Bali , or Hotel Dynasty’s continued support for the East Bali Poverty Project).
Sustainability on the other hand is more about how you run your business . Do you recycle water , sort out recyclable waste , use only the lowest power light bulbs, use solar panels , minimize the use of power and hydro carbons , minimize or eliminate harmful emissions etc… One of my favorite definitions is: “Sustainability is how you run your business when no-one is looking”!
Why don’t you have a look at the CSR and sustainability programs that your hotel or villa is undertaking ? Wouldn’t it be nice to be staying somewhere that really cares about the planet ? Most responsible hotels these days are doing good programs and don’t mind sharing them with their guests . If you are impressed with what you find , why not tell us about if in an email to me and I will publish the story (speirs@phoenix.co.id). Why? Because good work needs to be shouted about and in my experience the better the company’s attitude is to doing good , the more reluctant they are to talk about it!
I am on a quest to uncover the very best companies in Indonesia at the moment in a program called The Most Valued Business Awards (www.mostvaluedbusiness.com) and your information will also help that. And it may help you decide where to stay on your next trip! Thanks in advance.
